This invention is concerned with a support for a mould portion of a glassware forming machine, the support comprising at least one upwardly-facing surface in which there is a recess so arranged that a mould portion can be mounted on the support by positioning a hook portion of the mould portion, which projects transversely of a body portion of the mould portion, above the upwardly-facing surface, and lowering the mould portion relative to the support thereby bringing the hook portion into engagement with the upwardly-facing surface and a downward projection of the hook portion into the recess so that the mould portion hangs on the support supported by the hook portion, the support also comprising a projection arranged to enter a downwardly-opening slot in the mould portion, as the mould portion is lowered as aforesaid, and to prevent the mould portion from moving transversely of the support by engagement with opposite walls of the slot.
A support as described above is used in a glassware forming machine of the individual section type to support a mould portion which co-operates with one or more mould portions to form a closed mould in which molten glass can be moulded. Conventionally, the support is mounted on an arm and the arm is moved between a mould-closed position thereof in which the mould portion cooperates with one or more further mould portions to form a closed mould and a mould-open position thereof in which the mould portion is spaced from said further mould portions. This type of support is used both for blank mould portions which form moulds in which gobs of molten glass are formed into parisons and also for blow mould portions in which parisons are blown to the shape of the article required. The arms are moved either linearly or arcuately to move between the mould-closed and mould-open positions with the downward projection of the hook portion preventing the mould portion from falling off the support. Since the recess in the upwardly-facing surface is frequently formed by an arcuate slot with open ends, the projection of the support serves to prevent the mould portion from sliding relative to the support with the downward projection of the hook portion sliding along the recess. Thus, the mould portion is held against transverse movement relative to the support. Furthermore, the mould portions can be removed from the support and replaced by further mould portions merely by raising the mould portion vertically relative to the support. This means that mould portions can be exchanged without causing excessive production losses.
With a conventional support of the type described above, it is possible due to the inertial forces set up during the movements of the mould portions that the mould portion may be displaced vertically relative to its support. In this case the mould portion can fall off its support as the downward projection of the hook portion may leave the recess in the support. This can result in damage to the glassware forming machine and/or to the mould portion and the loss of production. This vertical displacement of the mould portion relative to its support is more likely to occur on the recently-proposed type of individual section glassware forming machine in which the blow moulds are mounted on a turntable which is rapidly rotated back and forth through 180.degree. to move the mould portions between a parison-receiving position thereof and a take-out position thereof. The turntable is subject to rapid acceleration and deacceleration so that considerable inertial and centrifugal forces are involved.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for a mould portion of a glassware forming machine in which vertical displacement of the mould portion relative to its support is prevented when the mould portion is mounted on its support while retaining the ability to exchange mould portions rapidly.